The necessity of classroom technology

As we watch the look of classrooms change at an exasperating rate, one thing remains the same: the need of an interactive lesson delivery system! It’s the question that has changed from Can we check off the front of classroom portal from our technology list? to How is this changing and improving my instruction?

I was lucky to teach in a forward thinking school district with a technology embracing superintendent that constantly pressed us to think about our instruction and set the expectations high. He recognized early on that technology wasn’t just about a check-off list item but a tool to support classroom instruction. I take this with me to each conversation I have with every school district.

While circling text and moving it around a panel is a cool feature, how is that changing and improving our instruction? We are long passed the days of selecting platforms based on functionality alone. We must insist on choosing platforms that are accompanied with meaningful instructional support. Sure, learning to turn on a system and identify its features are important but when we get down to it, when we look at the end goal: student engagement and achievement, we can no longer afford to simply acquire the technology. We have to embed it in our instruction. We must demand that it improves our pedagogy.

This is what I most value about our work at AXI and this is what is making a true difference in classrooms across Louisiana and Mississippi when school districts truly invest in a partnership with us. We no longer bog teachers down with functionality and features but spend time with them to learn their priorities and pain points and tailor our support to improve their instruction; with an end goal of improving student engagement and achievement.